The Senate re-authorization bill expands protections to gays and lesbians, improves access to help and information on college campuses, increases power for native American courts to try abuse cases on tribal lands and guarantees support to immigrants and human trafficking victims.

Victims advocate and National Organization for Women president Terry O'Neill had been fighting Republican resistance to these measures since the act expired in 2011.

"Unbelievably frustrating, and I will tell you this thing should have been done in the 112th Congress," she said.

House Republicans tried to pass their own scaled-back version of the act, but failed.

Many Republicans decided to support the Senate bill only after their party did poorly among women in last fall's election.